Occupiers march on local ports

More than 250 Occupy protesters descended early Monday on the Port of Long Beach as part of a West Coast effort to disrupt shipping from Alaska to San Diego.

The demonstrators braved cold and rain for a 6 a.m. march to the SSA Marine Terminal, which was targeted because of its affiliation with investment bank Goldman Sachs.

The protest disrupted truck traffic along a road between the Queen Mary and the terminal for roughly three hours, although operations weren't significantly disrupted, Port of Long Beach spokesman Art Wong said. Two protesters were arrested during the mostly peaceful demonstration, police said.

No disruptions were reported at the neighboring Port of Los Angeles, the nation's busiest seaport.

Demonstrators targeted Seattle-based SSA Marine because it is partially owned by an infrastructure investment fund managed by Goldman Sachs, composed of pension plans for workers in the United States and Australia.

Goldman Sachs is the investment bank at the heart of many Occupy grievances nationwide because of its role in the economic crisis.

Protesters in Long Beach had dispersed by noon, but further actions tentatively were planned for later in the evening and possibly for days to come.

"It's about stepping up and making our voices heard, and we plan to continue until changes are made in regards to (federal) policy on economic inequality and other social ills plaguing our society," said Geoff Wirt, a 23-year-old who made the trek to join those fed up with high unemployment, income disparity and other issues.

"The goal is to create something entirely new. A new system with new values and new priorities. In my opinion, this movement in the past few months is the start of something historic."

Demonstrators were escorted by authorities during their march from Harry Bridges Memorial Park to the terminal nearly one mile away.

The group was part of a larger Occupy the Ports movement that sought to obstruct or shut down operations at key West Coast ports Monday through a series of picket lines, road blockages and sit-down strikes outside terminal gates.

Arrests were reported in Seattle, San Diego, Portland, Oakland and San Francisco, among others.

Occupy members targeted some of the nation's busiest ports; Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland and Seattle together handle more than half of all of the country's waterborne trade.

Other West Coast ports at which protests were held included Tacoma, Wash.; Vancouver, Canada; Anchorage, Alaska; and Port Hueneme near Oxnard in Ventura County.

Demonstrations were anticipated at Hawaii ports as well, and at inland locations nationwide in solidarity with port protesters.

Dockworkers have voiced mixed opinions, although some reportedly refused to cross picket lines in Seattle and Oakland, the latter of which saw a similar march Nov. 2 that shuttered much of the port for one day.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents more than 50,000 port workers along the West Coast, said Monday that while it supports the Occupy movement's overall goals, efforts to target shipping could ultimately undermine port jobs and development, hurting port communities.

"The ILWU shares the Occupy Wall Street movement's concerns about corporate abuses and the future of the middle class, but we must be clear that any actions organized by outside groups, including the proposed shutdown of various terminals on the West Coast, have not been vetted by our union's democratically led process," Robert McEllrath, president of ILWU International, said in a statement.

ILWU Local 13, which represents about 20,000 workers at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports, hasn't taken a public stance on the Occupy movement.

Port of Long Beach Executive Director Christopher Lytle said the harbor would remain open during the demonstrations.

"We had planned with law enforcement in anticipation of this, so there were no disruptions and we ensured protesters were able to enjoy their constitutional right to free speech and assembly while also guaranteeing SSA had the ability to carry through their operations," Lytle said.

Following the march to the terminal's front gate, Long Beach police arrested two men for misdemeanors, one on suspicion of obstructing justice and another for resisting arrest, Long Beach police Deputy Chief Robert Luna said.

The economic impact from the protests in Long Beach and elsewhere remains unclear. The U.S. Department of Commerce has estimated a complete West Coast port shutdown would cost the U.S. economy more than $2 billion per day.

Organizers said Monday's effort was the beginning of a larger long-term movement to bring attention to economic issues. Many said the focus has shifted to ports, now that most cities have broken up tent encampments that began in September.

"We'll be back, and we'll continue with our peaceful efforts for as long as it takes, and even after that we'll keep on to ensure their gains are maintained," said Dennis De La Vega, an Occupy Los Angeles organizer who attended Long Beach's march.